The Lies we Tell - Jane Corry

"It can't happen all over again. Not to my boy. My precious only son. I'd do anything to save him. And I mean anything”

Synopsis

Sarah always thought of herself and her husband, Tom, as good people. But that was before their son Freddy came home saying he'd done something terrible. Begging them not to tell the police. Soon Sarah and Tom must find out just how far they are willing to push themselves, and their marriage, to protect their only child . . .

As the lies build up and Sarah is presented with the perfect opportunity to get Freddy off the hook, she is faced with a terrifying decision . . .

Save her son . . . or save herself?

Review

This book was recommended to me by someone I went to school with on Twitter and I didn't really know what to expect. Jane Corry wasn't someone who I had read before and all I had to go on was a short synopsis but it intrigued me. It was different to the types of books I'd read recently and I was interested in where the story might take me.

The story centres on on a married couple with a teenage son called Freddie who has done something terrible. His mother, Sarah and Father, Tom are two very different people and as the story progresses, we get to see just how different and incompatible they really are. Secrets are revealed and there are genuine twists and turns throughout and moments of emotion which caused me to reach for the tissues on more than one occasion. 

“When it comes to a mother's love - that boundless, almost undefinable, primal, umbilical-cord wrenching bond that cannot be broken - there are no rules .”

While at first, I was a bit daunted by the length of the book (it sits at nearly 500 pages long), in hindsight I think that it is needed. This is a slowburner of a story which gives each character time to breath. We are given a true insight into how lying can cause a relationship to break down and the devastating effects that can have on those involved. In the first half, we are taken through Sarah and Tom's relationship while the second half concentrates on the fall out from Freddies actions. There are times, especially during the first half, where it does feel a little tedious but it's needed for the payoffs in the second half to count. 

Final Thoughts

This is a long book, make no mistake and there are times when it truly feels like a long book. However, when the payoffs come they really come and it's clear to see why a lot of the 'fluff' is needed. Yes, things are tied up a little too neatly when it comes to the end but I'm happy for that in the case of these characters. Some of them go through so much and are really put through the wringer so it's nice to see some resolution for them all. It's really impressive how Corry brings all of the different threads together and so this is an author I will definitely be keeping an eye on. 

Wonder - R.J. Palacio

"Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness.”

Synopsis

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Wonder, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others.

Review

I'll admit that this is a book I read because I had to and not necessarily because I picked it up myself from a book store. By day, I'm a teacher and it's the first book we're going to read with the children in the first term of school. Sometimes though, the books that are thrust upon you are the ones you get the most out of and that is the case with Wonder, an absolutely gorgeous book and an experience of a story. It's uplifting and heartbreaking in equal measure and will have you reaching for the tissues on more than one occasion.

The story centres on August, a boy going into fifth grade who was born with a facial deformity. Multiple operations since have left him feeling more isolated and looking about as different from his classmates as you can get. Told from the perspectives of he and the people who interact with him, the story follows August as he navigates his year in fifth grade and the different obstacles he faces.

“Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.”

What is great about this story is how we see August from different perspectives. Not only do we hear August's inner monologue and understand how he sees his place in the world but we get an insight into how his deformity affects his family and friends. Constructing the story in this way is a masterstroke as we are forced to reflect on our own prejudices and question how we would act around someone like August. He repeatedly speaks of how people react when they first see him, from pitying looks to genuine squeals of shock and then the laughing and pointing. To him though, this is the norm but are these reactions justified? Can they ever be justified?

With this topic, it would be easy to guilt us into feeling sorry for a character like August. However, the story is written with such charm that we don't ever feel the need to pity him or feel sorry for him. He gets on with his life in such an affirming way and with such strength that to pity him would be doing him a serious disservice. There are times when his mask of strength slips but if anything, that vulnerability only goes to humanise him and make him a more relatable figure.

Final Thoughts

This is a book which will stay with me for a while! It's a realistic and honest look at a rarely discussed issue and it's often brutal in its depiction. However, there is so much heart within these pages and so much love between the main characters that it will leave you feeling like you've gone on a much needed journey of discovery. With a message which is ever more topical, Wonder is an essential read.

They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera

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“But no matter what choices we make - solo or together - our finish line remains the same … No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end."

Synopsis

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day. 

Review

I purchased this book in the same haul when I got The Midnight Library as it popped up in the 'Other books you may like' section. In many ways, I can see why the algorithm put these two books together as in many ways, they deal with similar themes. On first sight, the most glaring similarity appears to be death...or at least how to deal with death. That's perhaps the first (and wrong) assumption you can make about They Both Die at the End. Sure, the book spends a good deal of time discussing how the main characters think about death but actually, when you really delve into the pages and get stuck in, it's a book about life and friendship. Two people, completely unalike on every level are thrown together to spend their final day, aware that at any moment they could die, or worse, have to watch the other die.

“You may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships. Some you’ll discover you should put behind you. Others are worth every risk.” 

It would be easy for Silvera to turn this story into a sci-fi mystery. How does this mysterious company know when people are going to die? Do they actually have something to do with people dying? What are the implications if someone manages to avoid death? However, what Silvera does is write a character examination and that is entirely the right decision. One of my favourite films is Finding a Friend for the End of the World which is based on the well worn 'asteroid hitting the earth' storyline. Except, the film pretty much ignores the big sci-fi elements and the race to 'save the world' which we have seen so many times. Instead, the film follows a couple of people who are flung together and we follow their journey into making peace with what is about to happen. This book is very similar in that respect and it was refreshing because of that. 

Something else worth commenting on is the LGBTQ+ visibility, specifically the B part. At first, Rufus comes across as a bit of a thug. In fact, the first time we are introduced to him, he is beating up his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend! However, as the story progresses and we learn more about Rufus, we discover that he's actually a product of the system and he's actually quite a nice young man. When the bombshell is revealed that he's actually bisexual, it doesn't really come across as a bombshell. It's just another part of who he is and it doesn't define him. As a bisexual woman myself, that type of visibility is really inspiring and actually kinda important. 

Final Thoughts

This is really fascinating concept and I loved how Adam Silvera made it about the characters rather than the big sci-fi questions. It's a true character examination and in Mateo and Rufus, we have two really different and interesting protagonists. At times, nothing much happens but that wasn't enough to make me want to put it down. If anything, it kept me reading as I repeatedly found myself just drawn into the tale of these two boys spending their last day on earth together. Two ordinary boys who have been forced to come to terms with their own mortality.